


The Ghost of Hyde Park

by TheMysteriousGeek2345



Category: Ghosts (TV 2019)
Genre: Alison deals with ghost stuff whilst Mike watches on confused, Angst, Apologies, But eventually he finds closure, Discussions about forgiveness, F/M, Francis Button is sad and honestly I feel bad for him., I cried writing this, I hate Francis Button and have no idea why I wrote Francis angst, Regret, Spoilers for The Thomas Thorne Affair (S2E4), Thomas Thorne and Isabelle are mentioned but have no lines of dialogue., Thomas does have dialogue in Part 2 though, Thomas drowns himself in the lake first
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:08:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27269239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMysteriousGeek2345/pseuds/TheMysteriousGeek2345
Summary: Alison and Mike are in London celebrating their Wedding anniversary, when they bump into a ghost admiring the Rose Garden. A conversation about regret and loss ensures.
Relationships: Alison/Mike (Ghosts TV 2019)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 65





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Me: *Working on Ghostober*  
> My Brain: So... You hate Francis Button.  
> Me: Yes.  
> My brain: Here is some Francis angst.  
> Me: ;(
> 
> Anyways, I hope that you enjoy this fic.

“ _That_ was a good evening.” Mike said, as he opened the gate to Hyde Park, gesturing for Alison to walk through. It was their 4th Wedding anniversary, and the two of them haddecided to go to London for the weekend to celebrate. They had had a good weekend so far, but it was getting late and they were tired and they both wanted to go to bed.

“Yeah, I’m glad that we decided to do this. It’s nice to spend some time away from Button House and I think they’re happy to not have our renovations disrupting their lives for once.” Alison said quietly, as she yawned. Even though it was getting late, there were still a few people milling about the park. Alison decided it would a sensible idea if they weren’t made aware that she could see ghosts. Mike chuckled at that remark. Alison continued, “Well... I am looking forward to a comfy bed and a good night’s sleep.”

Mike nodded, and muttered, “Yeah, same.” Alison smiled warmly, as Mike held her hand. She quickly leaned in closer, as they continued walking through Hyde Park.

However, it was when they approached the Rose Garden that Alison saw someone a little... _odd_. There was a man, probably in his mid to late 40s, staring wistfully at the roses. He had short dark grey hair that seemed to curl a little at the tips. Alison could also see that he was wearing glasses, but she couldn’t quite place his clothing. Was it Regency era, or perhaps Victorian? Alison couldn’t quite tell, except it looked like something someone posh would wear.

“Ali, are you alright?” Mike asked, sounding concerned, as he walked through the man. The man bent over, gagging a little. Ah, so he must be a ghost then. Alison looked around, trying to see if there was anyone living nearby, before she gave Mike a knowing look. Mike nodded, before whispering, “Oh, it’s a ghost thing?”

“Yes.” Alison replied, looking at the middle aged man. By now, he had recovered, quickly neatening himself up as he turned around to look at both Alison and Mike in wonder.

“Oh, can you see me, per chance?” The man asked quietly, fidgeting with his glasses. Alison looked at Mike, before nodding. The man continued, “Have you both recently died then? If so, I am...”

“No, we’re both alive.” Alison interrupted, “I had an accident last year that gave me the ability to see ghosts.”

The man fell quiet for a second, as he mulled over Alison’s words a little. Eventually, he replied, “Well, I dare say that you have a unique ability. I hope that none of the ghosts you have encountered thus far have given you any major hassle.”

“Not really.” Alison said, thinking about the Button House Ghosts. Yes, they could sometimes be irritating, and a little needy, but she _liked_ them. Yes, that included Julian. They were a fun group, though Alison often felt sorry for them when they shared stories of what life was like when they were alive... or stories about how they died.

“That is good to hear.” The man smiled, “Then I must apologise for I am about to be a major hassle. Is it alright if I can borrow a moment of your time? I... just need someone to talk to for a while and I... do not get on with the other Hyde Park ghosts.”

“Sure, if that’s ok with you Mike?” Alison said quietly, as she saw the guilty look on the man’s face.

“Sure?” Mike nodded, looking confused. Alison and Mike followed the man towards the nearest park bench. Mike sat on one side of the bench, and the man sat on the other side, leaving Alison to awkwardly sit in the middle.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot to introduce ourselves. I’m Alison, and this is my husband Mike. We don’t live in London, we’re just visiting for the weekend..” Alison said quietly, trying to make some small talk.

The man smiled, looking at Alison, before he replied formally, “It is a pleasure to meet you Alison. My name is Francis.”

“Nice to meet you Francis.” Alison said awkwardly, fiddling with her hair as she tried to work out what to say next, “So... what’s on your mind?”

Francis stared at the park, lost in his own thoughts, as he sighed. He said sadly, “It is on days like this that I miss my cousin dearly. He loved autumn days like this one. He loved the way the leaves changed colour, he loved the festivities that took place around this time of year. I remember lazy autumn days where the two of us would go on long walks to admire the scenery, and then we would lie down next to the local river and we would just _talk_. It was often about silly or trivial things, but the way my cousin’s face used to light up when he waxed lyrical about whatever took his fancy...”

“Your cousin sounded like a wonderful person.” Alison said quietly, trying to comfort Francis, “What happened to him?”

Francis fell quiet, avoiding eye contact with Alison as he hunched over, staring at the ground in front of him. Mike was about to speak up when Alison quickly shushed him. Francis needed the space to gather his thoughts. A few minutes passed, before Francis said quietly, “I killed him.”

Alison stared at Francis in shock, though she could hear the self-hatred in his voice. Whatever he had done, he had long since come to regret it. Alison asked, “How?”

“I tricked him.” Francis replied guiltily, “I... forged some love letters and I tricked him into entering a duel to defend the honour of his love, when he was in fact... I watched him get shot, I... I ignored his final plea and left him to die alone.”

Alison inhaled a deep breath, as pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place. It couldn’t be... could it? She decided to keep her suspicions hidden for now, instead asking, “Why did you do it?”

The venom and guilt in Francis’ voicegrew stronger, as he continued speaking, “I was a fool. A greedy, self-absorbed fuel. I wanted nothing more than to inherit a large house and lots of money, and my _beloved_ cousin was standing in the way between me and my dream. So, I did away with him and then I got everything that I wanted... or what I thought I wanted.”

“What you thought you wanted?” Alison repeated quietly.

“What’s the point of having a large house and lots of money if you don’t get to share it with your loved ones?” Francis shouted angrily, though Alison could tell that it was directed towards himself. He stopped speaking for a second, before he continued quietly, “My... own greed blinded me to that and I did not realise it until it was too late. I spent the rest of my life wanting my cousin back. I would have done anything to hear his voice, or see his face one last time. Instead, I had a lot of money that I didn’t know what I wanted to do with, and a house I could not enter without being reminded of my own sins.”

“...I’m so sorry.” Alison said quietly, feeling more confident in her own suspicions but also completely at a loss. How do you comfort someone who has...?

“Saying sorry isn’t going to change what I’ve done.” Francis muttered weakly, “I _had_ so many opportunities to prevent my cousin’s death, and yet I did _nothing_. I even left him to die alone, probably feeling unwanted and unloved by those he cared about the most. Nothing can change that and nothing I did in my life since his death could change that either. And do you know what the worst part is?”

“I don’t, sorry, no.” Alison asked, feigning ignorance.

“I probably damned him to the same fate as my own.” Francis said quietly, staring at the roses, “He was probably stuck there, haunting the house in the same way that I am stuck haunting Hyde Park since my own death. I don’t suppose you know the House? When... we were both alive it was known as Higham House, but it has probably been renamed to Button House by now. I can imagine one of my descendants is still living there, unaware of what I did to ‘earn’ it. Still, I do hope that the house is as beautiful as it was the day I first saw it...”

Alison nodded to herself, as Francis’ words confirmed her suspicions. This was Thomas’ cousin, the man responsible for so much heartbreak. On the one hand, she hated him for what he had done to Thomas and Isabelle. On the other hand... he seemed to have reflected on his actions in the 196 years since and he had come to regret them. She said quietly, “I’ve heard of Button House. It’s a lovely place.”

Francis smiled wistfully, as he looked at Alison, “That is good to hear. Say, Alison. I know that this may be rude of me, but if you ever go to Button House and you see a man called Thomas Thorne, please can you pass on a message for me?”

“I can do that for you. What would you like me to say?” Alison asked sincerely.

Francis sighed, fiddling with his glasses, “Please can you tell him that... I am sorry for everything. That I am sorry I sacrificed him to fulfil my own ambition. Please can you also tell him that, whilst I did not love Isabelle romantically, I did care for her and I spent the rest of my days trying to make her happy simply because I knew that she meant the world to him. Can you also check to make sure that he’s happy for me and that, if there are any other ghosts haunting Button House, that they are taking for care oh him? And most importantly, please can you tell him that he is truly a one of a kind individual and the way that he viewed the world around him truly was beautiful. He has every right to forget and condemn _me_ for what I did that day, but... I miss him and just want him to be happy, wherever he ended up.”

Alison replied quietly, “If I see him I will pass on your message.”

“Thank you Alison. Thank you for listening to an old ghost’s guilt.” Francis Button replied gratefully, “Anyways, I have taken up so much of your time. I will leave you both to enjoy the rest of your evening.” With those closing words, Francis stood up and briskly walked away from the park bench. Alison watched him leave, until he vanished into the rose garden.

Everything in the park was eerily quiet, as Alison and Mike were both distracted by their own thoughts. Eventually, Mike quietly asked, “Who... was that ghost? And why did he know about Button House?”

Alison turned to look at Mike with a sigh, before replying just as quietly, “You know the Regency era ghost? Thomas Thorne?”

“Oh, the poet?” Mike said. Alison nodded. Mike nodded back, “Yeah, you’ve told me about him a few times. Why?”

“I... met his cousin, who asked me to pass on a message.” Alison replied, sounding emotionally drained.

“ _Oh_.” Mike said slowly, remembering exactly who Thomas’s cousin was, “Will you pass on that message then?”

“I will do.” Alison said, as she imagined Thomas’s reaction to the message. He probably wouldn’t be happy, but it would be unfair to both of them if she _didn’t_ pass it on. It would be unfair to Francis because she promised him that she would and he seemed to show and feel genuine remorse over what he did. As for Thomas... he had a right to know that his cousin was haunting Hyde Park. He had a right to listen to Francis’ final message and decide whether to forgive him or not. Maybe it would help him heal after the recent discoveries he had made, or give him a sense of closure. She didn’t know. But she did know not telling him would rob him of that opportunity.

“Anyways, shall we head back to the hotel?” Mike asked, shaking Alison out of her thoughts. She muttered a ‘yeah’, before the two of them got off the park bench and continued walking through Hyde Park. Alison was looking forward to getting to sleep. She needed to sleep on this, and then think about how she was going to tell Thomas about Francis’ message.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never been to Hyde Park, so please don’t judge me if I got anything wrong. Most of what I know I got off their website, so it may not be accurate.
> 
> But for the most important part- the Francis angst. The idea of Francis Button being a ghost has been sitting in my head since I wrote Day 26 of my Ghostober challenge. Initially he was meant to be on Button House grounds, but hidden so well that the other ghosts didn’t know he was there. I didn’t like that idea, and he eventually moved to Hyde Park. 
> 
> I also initially wanted to write something a lot more critical of Francis and maybe have Pat beat him up, but the idea of Francis being remorseful for his actions grew on me. I’m not trying to excuse his actions- This Francis would hate me if I did that. Instead, I’m giving him enough self awareness to know what he did was wrong and allowing him to deal with the consequences.
> 
> Francis headcanons for this AU that I didn’t not expand on in this fic- he died in the Winter of 1847 and the reason he doesn’t get on with the Hyde Park Ghosts is not because they hate him. It’s because he hates himself and doesn’t want to get close to the other ghosts as an act of penance.


	2. The Letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alison relays Francis’ final message to Thomas. After some soul searching, Thomas has a response of his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I wasn’t planning on writing this initially, but the more I thought about how Thomas would react to Francis’ last message the more I needed to write this. 
> 
> Anyways- thank you for the positive response to “The Ghost of Hyde Park”. I really appreciate it and I hope that you all enjoy Thomas’ response.

“Thomas, can I have a word with you?” Alison asked quietly, as she finally found the Regency poet on his own.

It had been a few days since her encounter with Francis in Hyde Park, and she had spent those few days trying to get Thomas on his own. However, every time she found him, he was with one of the other ghosts and she didn’t want to drag them into the conversation.

“Ah, yes, Alison. What do you need to discuss with me?” Thomas said cheerfully, as he walked up to Alison. He looked so enthusiastic, and that made Alison grow even more worried. She had no idea how he would react to the news, but she imagined that he wouldn’t take it well.

“There’s... something I need to tell you, about our weekend away in London.” Alison began nervously. Thomas looked at her, and the easy going smile he had left his face. She continued slowly, “We were walking back to our hotel through Hyde Park and... we bumped into Francis Button’s ghost. We talked a bit and...”

Thomas released a sharp inhale of breath, as he stared at Alison in shock. She could see that he was pressing his hand against his gunshot wound as he winced in pain. Alison wanted to give him a hug _badly_ , but she was aware that she would just pass right through him. Eventually, Thomas asked weakly, “What... what did my accursed cousin say?”

Alison paused for a few seconds, before she started telling Thomas about the encounter she had in Hyde Park, before passing on Francis’ last message. Thomas’ face showed a whirlwind of emotions as he _tried_ to process everything that Alison had told him. Eventually though, Alison finished her explanation as she looked at Thomas expectantly. She inquired patiently, “Are you ok, Thomas?”

Thomas shook his head, as he slowly took a few steps backwards. Alison’s heart broke as she looked at the distraught expression on his face. He hadn’t looked like that since the day he found out about his cousin’s treachery. After what felt like an eternity, Thomas muttered, “I am going to drown myself in the lake.”

Alison watched as Thomas ran out of the room. She didn’t follow after him, as she understood that he needed the space and the time to _process_ this. Firstly, he learnt that his cousin was involved in his death and _now_ he learnt that Francis felt remorse for what he did? It... was a lot to take in.

She would check up on him later, and make sure that he was doing ok, but for now all she could do was just hope that Thomas would be alright.

* * *

A few hours passed, though Thomas wasn’t aware of that. His mind had gone pretty much blank, as he floated aimlessly in the lake. The only thoughts that he had were of what Alison had said to him. Francis was in Hyde Park. He was sorry about what he’d done. He missed Thomas. Thomas’ heart was in turmoil, as he just replayed Alison’s words over and over again in his head.

“How does one deal with the madness of when your heart both loves and hates another? The two opposing forces at war, causing one’s heart to go a flutter.” Thomas said quietly to himself as he tried to work out how he should even _feel_ about this recent development. But every time he tried to answer the question, he found himself even more confused and distressed.

Thomas could suddenly hear footsteps. He quickly looked up and around, trying to work out who was approaching, before he relaxed at seeing Pat approaching the lake side. As Pat got closer, he knelt down slightly, so that he was at eye level with Thomas.

Pat asked quietly, “You alright, mate? You’ve been out here for a few hours and... well... we’re all worried about you.”

“My _cousin_ is haunting Hyde Park.” Thomas said sombrely. Thomas could immediately see a sympathetic look on Pat’s face, which Thomas hated. He continued quietly, “He’s... had time to think about what he did and, according to Alison, he has shown a great deal of remorse over what happened the day I died and he hoped that I am happy here.”

“Oh, I am so sorry to hear that Thomas.” Pat said sincerely, “How are you feeling about what Alison told you? Are you...”

“That is the problem. I do not know how I am meant to feel!” Thomas shouted dramatically, “On the one hand, I hate that vile serpent for whathe did, and I am struggling to find a shred of forgiveness considering that he broke Isabelle’s heart and left me to die alone. On the other hand, there is a part of me that recognises how much he has changed and I want to forgive him as what he said seemed genuine. I...”

“It’s ok to have conflicting opinions about someone.” Pat interrupted quietly, “I’ve told you about Carol and Morris before, and about how there are some days where I hate both of them and other days when I want them both to be happy. The point is... we often try and oversimplify our emotions in order to make our lives a lot easier. Emotions though don’t work like that. They’re messy, they’re complicated and it often takes _time_ to sort through them. I don’t think Alison expects you to know how you feel immediately. Take your time, Thomas and... if you need to talk to any of us, then we will be happy to listen.”

“But... what if I never work out how I feel about Francis?” Thomas asked, sounding completely and utterly broken, “What if...”

“If you could speak to Francis right now, what would you say to him?” Pat said softly. Thomas looked at him with a look of wonder in his eyes. Pat continued, “Have you... What are you thinking about?”

“I could ask Alison to pen a letter to Francis for me.” Thomas muttered to himself, as he started to wade out of the lake, “I would need to work out what I would say to my cousin of course, but it would give me something to focus my emotions on. Thank you so much for discussing this with me, Pat. I really needed to hear those words.”

“Glad to hear that I could help, Thomas.” Pat smiled warmly, as Thomas climbed out of the lake, “If you need to talk to anyone...”

“Yes, I will be more than happy to share my thoughts with you all.” Thomas smiled, as he walked back to Button House. Pat followed closely behind, glad that Thomas had some of the answers to his own questions.

* * *

6 months later, and Alison found herself back in Hyde Park. It was late evening, an hour or so before the park was meant to close. The park was near deserted, with only a handful of living people milling about in the park. Alison, however, wasn’t concerned with the living.

She just had to find one _particular_ ghost in this park, and she had an idea of where he’d be.

Clutching Thomas’ letter tightly, she made her way towards the Rose Garden. Whilst she was secretly annoyed at how much money she had spent on the train tickets, she cared for Thomas and if doing this could provide him with closure, the cost would be more than worth it.

“Hey, Francis.” Alison said calmly, as she approached the familiar ghost standing next to the roses. Francis turned around, and looked surprised to see Alison back in Hyde Park. She said quietly, noting his surprise, “Long time no see.”

“Oh, Alison. I was not expecting to see you ever again. Pray tell, what brings you back to Hyde Park?” Francis asked, sounding perplexed, “And where is your husband Mike?”

Alison paused, taking a deep breath as she chose her next words carefully, “Mike is at home, looking after the House whilst I’m here. I... actually inherited Button House, and I know your cousin very well. He... I passed on your last request and he had a message of his own he wanted me to pass on.” Before Francis could say _anything_ , Alison quickly opened the letter and began to read it.

My dearest cousin,

I hope that this letter has found you in good stead. Apologies that I have not responded to your last request sooner, but it has taken me some time to decide what my response should be.

To answer the easy questions first, I am very happy at Button House. Yes, I know I told you that I never wanted to live there, but over time Button House has become a home to me and that in no small part is due to the other ghosts who reside there. Yes, we are all a random assortment of individuals from different parts of history who do not necessarily see eye to eye, but I do see them as family and I know that they feel the same way.

Enough about me though. How are you? How has your afterlife been? Alison said that there are other ghosts who reside in Hyde Park with you, but you do not necessarily see eye to eye with them. Is it because they cannot stand you? I think that is unlikely, as you were better in social contexts then I could ever hope to be. I think that it is more likely that you have been avoiding them due to the guilt that you feel over my death.

Yes, I know that I needed to address this eventually, and it has been hard to work out how I should feel about what you did. I am, however, still angry with you. Partially because of the fact that I _trusted_ you, yet you lied to me and manipulated my emotions, like a puppeteer controlling a puppet, to gain what you desired. However, I have long since come to terms with the fact that I am dead, so your deceit on that front does not matter.

What I cannot forgive you for is how you lied to Isabelle. I...cared for her a lot, and you knew that and must have known that she cared for me also. Yet, in your lust for status, for wealth and a large house to call your own, you discarded Isabelle’s feelings until you could manipulate them to suit your own ends. That was simply disgraceful, and no matter how much atonement you carry out, I cannot find it in myself to forgive you for that sin. You disappointed me, dear ‘cousin’, and your callousness will most likely stain your soul like the ink you used to forge our letters with stained your hands.

If I am disappointed and angry at you, then surely you must be wondering why I asked Alison to write this letter and deliver it to you for me. After all, I could have chosen to just ignore your final message and continued my normal day to day activities as usual. The simple answer is - I do not know. Maybe it was because you always got the last word growing up, maybe it was because it seemed like fate that you ended up staying on as a ghost as well. I do not know. What I do know is that I would not have been able to seek closure if I did not contact you.

I will say though- it would be best for the both of us if this was our final correspondence. We both have awful memories of the other, and I do not think we will ever be able to reconcile after the events of that day. As you rightly said in your final message, we should just try and forget each other and move on with our respective afterlives. Who knows, maybe this will in time help us both to move beyond the veil and into pastures unknown.

However, Francis, I do also have one final message of my own. If I was right in my assessment of you earlier, and if you have been avoiding the other ghosts due to your guilt, then you are doing a great dishonour to my own memory. I implore you, find the ghosts that reside in the park and befriend them. Find some peace in your lonely afterlife.

Yours sincerely,

Thomas Thorne.

“...That... sounds like something my cousin would say.” Francis said, on the verge of tears, “Thank you so much Alison for doing this. You didn’t have to...”

“Thomas asked me.” Alison interrupted, “He’s the one that you should be thanking.”

Francis weakly chuckled to himself, “I would but I am stuck in Hyde Park so it would be difficult to thank him in person. And... he is right in saying that this should be our final form of correspondence.” Francis sighed, as he ruffled his hair gently.

“So, what will you do now?” Alison asked quietly. Francis’ gaze turned towards the Rose Garden again, as a look of uncertainty crossed his face. Alison added, “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“It’s fine, Alison.” Francis replied softly, “I might try and learn more about the other Hyde Park ghosts, and see if I can befriend them in time. After all, Thomas wanted me to try and find some peace in my afterlife, did he not? It would be most rude to ignore his final message, especially after.... never mind. Anyways, I shall not keep you out in the cold much longer, Alison. Have a good evening and... keep on looking after Button House and Thomas for me, alright?”

Alison nodded, before Francis turned around and walked away. Alison didn’t watch him leave this time. Instead, she just turned around and walked away in the opposite direction, back to the hotel she was staying in. She was glad that Thomas and Francis finally found some closure after that awful day. Hopefully, they would be able to grow and heal from there and eventually find peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this was a challenge. A fun challenge, but a challenge nevertheless. I could both see Thomas completely forgiving his cousin and also damning his cousin for all eternity once Alison had delivered Francis’ final message. And yes, both stories are important to tell. 
> 
> However, the more I thought about it the more I felt confident that Thomas’ response would be somewhere in the middle. That he would forgive his cousin for certain things and want him to be happy, but also be angry about other aspects of Francis’ betrayal. And I think that was important to write - a lot of stories try and simplify the whole “I forgive you!” vs the “I don’t forgive you!” argument, failing to realise that you can do both. Emotions are a very messy thing, after all. Actually writing Thomas’ response was difficult, as I wanted to maintain that balance, which I think I did well in the end. :) And hopefully, both Thomas and Francis will move on and grow as people because of this. 
> 
> Pat was making a reference to Day 26 in my Ghostober challenge in his conversation with Thomas. They are both set in the same little side-AU after all.


End file.
